Cody S. Tutor Interview

Q. Hi, Cody S. please introduce yourself!: A. My name is Cody, during the daytime I work as a one-on-one aide for emotionally disturbed students enrolled in special education, and I am also working towards a bachelor’s degree in Sociology. I have been tutoring for nine years, teaching English for roughly four years and have been working with CafeTalk since March of 2016. I gained most of my experience teaching English when I lived in Niigata Japan. There I was fortunate enough to work with every type of learner and skill level imaginable in a variety of settings; including but not limited to cafe’s, private English schools, community centers, Universities, libraries, high schools and cram schools. It was quite a life changing experience.Recently, I am very interested in health and spend a lot of my free time running and exercising. Aside from fitness, I enjoy studying Japanese, gardening, writing poetry and exploring L.A. with my wife, Yumi, and my two dogs; Sandy and Chibi.
Q. Please tell us something about where you live.: A. I live in a city Called Duarte. It’s a small suburban town about forty-five minutes North East of downtown Los Angeles. Duarte is also known as the City of Hope and was recently named one of the healthiest cities in Los Angeles. We have plenty of parks, bike paths and a community of active people. You can often see soccer games going on at one of the parks, cyclists on the road, basketball games being played and runners out on the trails. So, it’s a pretty nice place to live if you enjoy the outdoors.
Q. You used to live in Niigata, Japan right? How did you like life in Japan?: A. As I said, living in Niigata was truly eye opening for me. I spent three and a half years helping people learn how to express themselves in English while learning about their opinions, lifestyle, and culture. Through teaching and living in Niigata, I have been able to develop a strong rapport and with people from all over the world. Living and studying abroad, teaching English and exploring Japan was an invaluable experience that has forever broadened my horizons. I am still trying to learn more while helping people with their goals, every chance I get, through my work at CafeTalk.
Q. What motivated you to become an English teacher?: A. Since a pretty young age, I had a desire to “change the world” somehow, and I see an opportunity to do so whenever I teach. To me, teaching is all about inspiring people to work towards their goals and empower them to think critically about the things that matter to them. Watching my students enjoy trying new things, work towards their goals diligently and grow as English speakers or people in general, gives me a tremendous sense of joy. Lastly, I believe that the freedom you gain as a teacher comes with a responsibility to be a good role model, and so I love that my job pushes me to set my standards high and try my best to be a good person.
Q. How do you spend your days off? Is there anything you’ve gotten interested in lately?: A. Actually, between work and school, I have been busy lately, but as I mentioned, I have quite a few hobbies. No matter how busy I get, I make time to exercise. When I exercise, it seems like the rest of my day goes much better, and things that typically seem stressful feel much more manageable. Other than that, my wife and I like to try out new restaurants and take our dogs to local dog parks when time allows.
Q. What are you most careful of when you teach your students?: A. I am very careful to determine whether my students have specific goals or just want to enjoy an entertaining conversation. Once I evaluate my student’s English level, interests, and personality I try to cater to their needs as much as possible. Naturally, I want my students to see results, but I believe a strong rapport and sense of comfort are necessary to accomplish any long-lasting improvements.
Q. Finally, would you like to leave a message for our students?: A. To all the students at Cafetalk, thank you for all of your hard work and intriguing conversations. Each one of you brings a unique quality to my lessons. Your insights and ideas are invaluable to me as your teacher. From the bottom of my heart, I thank you for trusting me to develop your lesson plans, work towards your goals with you and ultimately provide a meaningful experience through for you through our conversations. It is because of you that I am allowed to evolve as a teacher. Don’t doubt me but most importantly, don’t doubt yourselves. You have extraordinary potential. Learning a language is not a short or simple task. Please understand that while it is challenging, the journey can be fun.